The Country 13/08/26: Jo Luxton talks to Jamie Mackay

Labour’s agriculture spokeswoman makes a long-awaited appearance on The Country. But where’s her agriculture policy less than three months out from the election?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
She is Labour's agriculture spokesperson. Her name is Joe Luxton
and I've been waiting for months and months and months
for Joe's agg policy. She's been a bit croc recently. Joe,
I think you've been avoiding me. But I think perhaps
on second thoughts, your tactic, your and Chippy's tactic of
doing nothing might pay off. Just let the opposition self destruct.

(00:20):
Maybe that's a master plan. Was that the master plan
all along?

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Well, go tell me. It's always nice to talk to you,
and I'd never ever avoid talking to you. You know
that they're great mate. No, here's been no master plan here.
But yeah, things have been pretty interesting in the political
world at this the last couple of days, haven't they.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
Indeed they have. Do you buy into my theory? And
I've been thinking about this for the last month six
weeks that if the Opportunity Party gets past five percent,
and you'd have to say now that every chance of
doing that, it is game over. It will be a
change of government and will have the four headed monster.
Or whereas Chippy just going to kick to party Mari

(01:02):
to touch.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Hey, Well, it's an interesting idea that you've got there.
But we're campaigning on two ticks labor. If people want
to change the government and we're asking for the two
ticks for labor. We're not too sure what will happen
with other parties. You never know until election and then
those of coalition type of dreemats and conversations will happen then.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
So I hate to ask Joe Luxton, but when are
you actually coming out with your agg policy because I
think your manifesto is going to be released very shortly
before the election, because we're in the countdown mode now,
so I'm really interested to you know, what you're going
to do about emission's targets, what you're going to do
about agriculture and the ets. So those are questions that

(01:44):
I want answered.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah, and will they will be answered in due course, Damy,
I promise you, you know, the manifesto you know will be
coming out soon. But it's not different to any other
election cycle. Often policies aren't released until that a campaign
a proper period, so you know, it's not too to
similar to other campaigns where we haven't released policy yet,

(02:08):
and we haven't released all policy yet either. I mean,
there's been several policies that have announced. You know, small
business policy is a really great policy. Lots of other
good points.

Speaker 1 (02:17):
Wow, hang on, Joe, it's a really great policy unless
you want to buy some new plants or equipment.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah, but not every farmer and every business buys new
plant and your equipment every year. So this is a
good policy. That is a good policy because it increases
you know, actually right, we increase it from one ten
thousand straight away, so rather than waiting to do it
for it to depreciate over time. And that's got to
be a good thing for small business as well as

(02:46):
the part where you know, if you have turnover of
ten million dollars or less and the companies are going
to have to pay you with fifteen working days if
they owe you twenty five thousand dollars or less, and
it's got Yeah.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
No, I agree with you. In a utopian sort of world,
that would be wonderful. Get the big companies who do
use often smaller businesses as their own banks. But it's
going to be almost impossible to police. I would have
thought it's pie in the sky sort of policy, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (03:17):
No, I disagree.

Speaker 1 (03:18):
Why how are you going to make I don't know,
let's just throw out a Fonterra. How are you going
to make Fonterra pay people within fifteen days their suppliers.

Speaker 2 (03:27):
Because these sorts of things are going to be legislated for.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
I still don't buy it.

Speaker 2 (03:33):
Well, we knew he just going to have to wait
and see, aren't you. Jamie.

Speaker 1 (03:35):
Hey, Joe Luxton, always good to catch up, and you know,
just give me a ring, text me as soon as
you've got some ag policy and I'm going to take
you straight to air.

Speaker 2 (03:45):
Sounds good, all right, Jamie